The second round of public testimony on Commissioner Amanda Fritz's proposed sick leave ordinance is set for Thursday afternoon. Michael Lloyd/The Oregonian

The Portland City Council is set to hold its final public hearing on a proposed sick leave mandate Thursday afternoon -- one of the final steps in approving the much-debated ordinance.

Council members have set aside three hours, beginning at 3 p.m., to take public testimony on the proposal before it goes up for a final vote next week. This is the second round of comment the council has heard on the subject.

The previous session, which happened more than a month ago, drew dozens and dozens of Portlanders, speaking both for and against the measure.

For the most part, the ordinance up for discussion Thursday is the same as what Commissioner Amanda Fritz, the proposal's primary supporter, introduced in mid January. Private employers in Portland would have to give employees up to 40
hours of sick leave each year. Employees would earn one hour of sick
leave for every 30 hours worked. They would also need to work at least
240 hours a year to qualify. Businesses with at least six employees would have to offer paid time off, while smaller companies could provide unpaid leave.

However, three task force meetings held throughout February on the measure did lead to some tweaking that will likely be discussed today.

Those changes included a provision that new employees would not be able to tap into accrued sick leave for 90
days, when originally someone working full time would have been eligible
after six weeks. They also eliminated collective
bargaining provisions, basically requiring employers of trade union
employees to offer sick time. Employers may also seek a
"certificate of compliance" verifying that sick leave is appropriately
provided.

In the days leading up to this hearing and the final vote, lobbying in favor of the measure has grown around City Hall. Early last week, Amanda Fritz joined grass roots supporter in a rally outside the entrance to City Hall.

She made it clear that she believes the sick leave proposal is something Portlanders want.

"This is something the community is demanding," Fritz said. "It's not something I dreamed up."

Fritz appears to have the necessary votes to get the measure through the council. Commissioners Steve Novick and Dan Saltzman have both said they support the concept and neither Mayor Charlie Hales nor Commissioner Nick Fish have indicated they're opposed.

Still, some business owners are still lobbying heavily against the measure. They say it comes at a delicate time for profit margins and could mean the end of some small businesses.

At the state level, a group of senators and representatives have introduced a bill, which would implement a statewide sick leave law.

Council members knew this was coming and at least part of the motivation in passing Portland's own policy, Fritz has said, was to help the push in Salem. Businesses opposed to the Portland measure have said a statewide law would, at the very least, level the playing field.